


To move a stone heart

by Banshee_Stardust13



Series: The stone heart that trembled [1]
Category: Les Misérables - Schönberg/Boublil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-08 10:01:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7753288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Banshee_Stardust13/pseuds/Banshee_Stardust13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The child who saved Javert's life that night on the Seine is now ill. The question now is will he allow her to die? Or will he save her life in return?<br/>"One good turn deserves another."</p>
            </blockquote>





	To move a stone heart

**Author's Note:**

> Hoping to start a new series soon, so I hope this is to everyone's liking! This story takes place after Javert and the Seine incident. I don't know how the idea came about, but I think I got it when I was around fifteen or sixteen. I realize that the "Javert being saved from his suicide attempt" is an old one, but what if it were a child? A nine or ten year old child, who could barely swim, but wanted to save a man's life? I'm not sure how well this scenario would have worked out in real life, but for fiction's sake, please go with me, and give it chance. Thanks for reading! I'll be posting whenever I can, seeing my internet is limited. I tried going with book verse Javert and tried to capture the essence of Philip Quast when writing, so I'm hoping that came through!

"For the Lord's sake, stop that infernal coughing!" Javert barked. Nadine tried her best to stifle the horrible cough she had, but it was of no use. Javert sighed in exasperation and turned from his work to face the child, lying on his couch. It had been three weeks since the girl named Nadine, rescued Javert from his suicide attempt at the Seine. It was bad enough he allowed her in his home. Javert knew it was going to get worse. Sure enough, it did. Now it appeared that Nadine had fallen ill. Rather fast. It had to have been from being in the cold water for so long. "I-I'm sorry Monsieur!" Nadine managed through the fit. Javert said nothing. She had managed to get a blanket over herself, before Javert took it from her. "Did you ask before you took this?" Javert demanded. Nadine could only shake her head. "I'm sorry." She repeated. Javert only scowled at her, as he folded the blanket and placed it on a nearby chair. Monsieur," Nadine croaked, "Please, I need to get to a doctor. If I don't, I could--" Her voice trailed off. Both Javert and Nadine knew what could happen, but why should Javert care? After all, this child--This beast could die and that would be the end of it. Javert decided he would just let it play out and that would be that. The stars were not in his favor. Nor was God.

Night came, and Nadine had not eaten all day. Only slept and coughed. Javert had not spoken another word in her general direction since the incident with the blanket. She had become increasingly worse looking. Through the course of one day, Nadine had paled considerably. As far as Javert was concerned, he wasn't sick, therefore it was not his problem. Despite all of this, at one point, Nadine awoke with the blanket messily thrown upon her. If she could have spoke, Nadine would have thanked Javert, but he wouldn't have said anything and Nadine no longer even had a voice. She merely watched as Javert read or did paperwork. Javert knew of this, yet said nothing. 

 

Throughout the night, Nadine found no sleep. Javert did but not for long. When Nadine finally did fall asleep, Javert came back to the couch to check her pulse. She wasn't dead. He wondered how long it would take for Death to take Nadine by the hand. He noticed her breathing was becoming very labored. He stared down at the child, as she slowly opened her eyes. Finally, she managed to breathe out a few words. "You cannot say...You don't...feel...anything." Javert remained stoic. "I can, because I don't. I could care less whether you live or die." He replied. By some odd means, Nadine was able to smile weakly, but for a mere second. Javert could have sworn he saw a tear make its way down her face. "You're lying Monsieur." She coughed. "If you really don't care about me, that blanket wouldn't have found its way onto me." Javert stared coldly into Nadine's eyes. "Please, Monsieur, have pity. Have pity enough to at least get me to a doctor. Then leave me. At least if I die, I can be with my mama." Javert scoffed. "Give me one reason why I should pity someone such as you." Javert sneered. He could see more tears making their course down Nadine's gaunt cheeks. "I pitied you." Nadine managed to say, though her tears and a few coughs. "I took pity on you when I swam after you. So please Monsieur, I beg of you in the name of Jesus, to take pity on me." With those final words, Nadine passed out.

 

Javert debated this and finally came to a conclusion. He would take her to the hospital and leave. The carriage ride was only ten minutes, but when the nurses saw the state Nadine was in, Javert was scolded by several nurses for not bringing her in sooner. When Javert turned to leave, the elder of the nurses stopped him. "Just where do you think you're going?!" She cried, outraged. "Madam, this orphan is not my child. I only intended to drop her off and leave. "You will do no such thing!" The nurse said. "You will stay with her until she recovers! You brought her in, you're going to stay." Needless to say, Javert was not pleased. 

Nadine and Javert were both surprised that she made it through the night. If it hadn't been for Javert getting her to the hospital and the nurses administering some medicine, Nadine would have been dead by now. She managed an impish smirk. "What happened to you leaving?" Nadine asked. "I was not allowed to leave you." Javert growled. Because Nadine had not eaten, she had to be fed a form of liquid food through a funnel. The look on her face when the food went down the funnel and in her mouth, had been priceless. Javert had bite his lip to keep from laughing. She was not happy with the taste or having a funnel shoved down her mouth. When the funnel was withdrawn, she was gasping for air. "Oh hush!" The nurse scolded, "It wasn't that bad!" She thwacked Nadine on the head and Javert gave a throaty chuckle. "It's not funny!" Nadine pouted. 

 

Within two days, Nadine's condition increased. She didn't cough as much and her appearance was not as gaunt. The medicine was regularly administered, until the fourth day, she seemed to have made a full recovery. Javert and Nadine were allowed to leave. "You. Come back with me." Javert told Nadine. "But--" Nadine began. "Just come. Before I have a change of mind." Javert responded. Nadine smiled and followed behind.


End file.
